


Protected

by knightinpinkunderwear



Series: Prompt Fills [13]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Blood, Bullying, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Family, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kid Fic, Minor Violence, Name Changes, Protective Siblings, Siblings, kid Ed, kid mario, kid sofia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-10
Updated: 2018-02-10
Packaged: 2019-03-16 09:23:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13633413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/knightinpinkunderwear/pseuds/knightinpinkunderwear
Summary: "Take me home. Now." prompt sent by lycanthropanic on tumblr (with the note: for the angst)Continuation of the Falcone Family au. [In which Ed is adopted by the Falcones as a child.]





	Protected

**Author's Note:**

> I should tell that Eduardo is usually used in Spanish and Portuguese and the common Italian diminutive of Edward is actually Edoardo with an "o" but Eduardo is used in southern Italy and I don't want to change it. 
> 
> Eduardo is 9, Sofia is 11, and Mario is 14 in this.

 

Eduardo Falcone was smaller than both of his siblings, he didn’t really resemble any of his family either. Except in intelligence and the dark eyes he and Sofia both had, though hers were certainly darker. Sadly his size deemed him an appropriate target for teasing and ridicule. It was almost funny how fast the stupid, spoiled brats in the private academy forgot that he was, in fact, a Falcone. It was too bad that the boy himself was unaware of that.

“What do you say four-eyes?” Eddie bit his lip and rolled his eyes, _four lenses would be a better nickname given that each eye has a lens and a glasses lens is hardly an eye..._ “Can you do it or not?” The ‘it’ that the ignoramus brute was referring to was his coursework, it was pre-algebra worksheet and a packet of grammar sentences to correct. For grade level six. Eduardo was almost insulted by the simplicity of the work he was being threatened into completing. He may have been only nine, and this his first year at the school but really? The math was only a simple times table like 5*7 =?. It wasn’t really pre-algebra. (Algebra was Sofia’s favourite, especially sequences and probability).

“I _can._ But why should I?” He’d learned this tone from both Mario and Sofia, they used it to get out of things they didn’t want to do. Like when one of Mario’s friends (Nathaniel?) tried to make him to smoke marijuana. People listened to Mario and Sofia, so surely it was familial and he’d have the same effect. Instead of the embarrassed shrug that Mario got or the apology Sofia got, he got a fist in the face. The past two years were gone from his mind. Instead he was back in his old, horrible excuse for family. His new name slipped from mind. The letters falling away and warping back to what had been on his birth certificate. Eduardo Falcone was Edward Nashton again. He couldn’t remember the name of his attacker only that his punches felt too similar to the ones he’d received at Hilltop Elementary. Too similar to the ones his then-father had given just before he passed out drunk. He came back to himself, back to Eduardo sitting in the corner with Mario and Sofia. His attacker limped away clutching his face. There was blood under Sofia’s nails and on Mario’s knuckles.

“Stay away from our brother!” they both shouted after the escapee. Mario pulled off his uniform jacket off, pulling it over Eddie’s shoulders. He and Sofia both sat with him, holding him. It was safe. But the halls were soon full of laughing, loud voices. They were starting to get stares, and whispers, despite the nasty glares both Sofia and Mario were giving anyone who dared to look at them.

“I wanna go home,” he muttered, folding himself up, smaller into their arms.

“What did you say? Can you speak up, brother?” Sofia tried gently.

“Take me home” he sniffed, louder this time. “Now.”

“Alright then. Let’s go.” Mario said, hopping up and grabbing both his and Eduardo’s bags. Sofia hopped up after him adjusting her own bag before holding out both hands. With all three up they started to make their way to the front office. Eddie held both of his older siblings’ hands as they walked. He began to worry again. They still had classes, they didn’t have to go home with him just because-

“Wha-what about your classes?” he asked, looking up, back and forth between his brother and sister.

“To hell with them!” Sofia scoffed, squeezing his hand.

“You’re more important, Eddie!” Mario used his free hand to ruffle Eddie’s curling hair.

Mamma was there to pick them up from the office in less than fifteen minutes. She gave them all a big hug, crushing them together with hidden strength. Mario and Sofia explained what happened while they sat in the car. He didn’t want to talk about it. They spent the rest of the day doing their best impersonation of the lazy cat, sitting all squashed together on the couch and dozing off in the shared comfort and warmth of eachothers’ company. While papa seemed initially disappointed in how Eddie had handled the situation, in a week the brute was expelled. Papa picked them up from school that day, Eduardo understood the little glint in papa’s eye. He must’ve done it. Mamma, Mario, and Sofia didn’t have the resources necessary to get it done nearly that quickly. So of course he greeted papa with a hug and a smile. He sat next to papa with Mario and Sofia sitting opposite. As they told stories about their days papa kept a hand on his shoulder. Eddie couldn’t stop smiling. He knew that his family would keep him safe, protected. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it. Being an eldest (and quite protective) sibling I do enjoy writing them because my position in my family is also one that I use in my friendships (yes I'm the caretaker friend as well as the "I'll beat up anyone who messes with you" friend)
> 
> Please comment?


End file.
